My Sweet Little Angel

Nicholas leaned against the railing and studied the beautiful girl standing beside him. Her orange ankle length dress shone in the night light. Her hair was knotted into a French bun, emphasizing her slender neck. She wore a strand of pearls and they matched the color of her skin. But she seemed to be lost in her thoughts and he knew that she hadn't noticed his presence.

He cleared his throat before asking, 'Hey, are you alright?'

The husky, bedroom voice forced Fiona to raise her head and turn towards the guy standing beside her. Jet black eyes were staring at her, waiting for an answer. How many days had it been since someone had asked her if she was alright? Her hands shook as she felt the guy's gaze run over her body. She cradled the glass of champagne carefully and responded nonchalantly.

'Fine,' she replied back sharply and looked away, not wanting to answer the stranger's questions. The garden looked beautiful in the moonlight. Lisa had converted the backyard into a wonderful place. Flowers bloomed and the light night breeze carried the sweet scent of the roses. She wanted to climb down the couple of steps and spend some time amidst the colorful flowers. She wanted to forget how colorless her own life had become ...

'Are you new to Boston?' he asked, studying her face carefully. She looked familiar but he couldn't remember where he had met her. Her green eyes were dull and lacked the shine. The scar on her forehead wasn't ghastly, just a thin line indicating some unfortunate accident. Her high cheekbones and dimpled chin only enhanced her features. Her lips looked full and were devoid of any kind of lipstick. She was biting her lower lip, wanting him to tug it free. Finally releasing her swollen lip, she turned towards him, her eyes dark with anger.

'Listen mister, whoever you are,' she said, pointing her finger towards him, 'I want you to leave me alone.'

Nicholas was taken aback by her statement and before he could even form a reply, she had stomped off. Her voice wasn't loud but the message was clear. He was still looking at her retreating figure, walking into the house, when he heard someone clear their throat. He turned his face only to find the host of the evening and his best friend for 20 years, Matthew...

'Someone seems to be angry,' remarked Matthew as he jerked his head towards Fiona who was now sitting on a couch in the living room, her face devoid of any emotion.

'Who is she?' asked Nicholas as he looked at Matthew, genuine interest evident in his eyes.

'Don't tell me you didn't recognize her,' said Matthew, looking surprised at Nicholas's question.

Nicholas shrugged his shoulders and thought about the girl. He tried to think about all the women that he had met but she didn't resemble anyone. Or maybe she did. He turned towards Matthew with a blank expression, making Matthew give him a "

Come on, man

!" expression.

'Really, Nick ... Since when did you become so thick in the head?' asked Matthew as he studied his best friend. 'Remember Lisa's bridesmaid?'

Fiona

? But she was the most spirited girl he had ever come across in his life. Surely the girl whom he had met a few minutes back wasn't the cheerful, bubbly and fun-loving girl he had met at Matthew's wedding. Hell! Fiona always used to smile, make fun of him and most importantly, make him go crazy over her. But the girl he had met a few minutes back ... She had hardly spoken to him.

'That can't be Fiona, Matt,' said Nick, his tone surprised. 'What happened to Fiona?'

'Didn't you get her wedding invitation?' asked Matt, looking at his friend, who still seemed to be in a state of shock.

'What wedding invitation are you talking about?' asked Nick. 'I didn't get any kind of invitation, Matt. I didn't even know that she was getting married or ...,' he looked at Fiona who kept looking at the people around her, looking lost and sad ... 'is she still married?' he asked as he turned his gaze towards Matt, praying and hoping that she wasn't. He knew that it made him look like a bastard but ...

'We are glad that she isn't,' replied Matt, his voice heavy with emotion. 'It's been two weeks since her divorce got final.'

'What happened?' asked Nick, wanting to know what went wrong. 'Just because I am not here, doesn't mean that you guys hide things from me.'

'Nick, you were busy in New York and we didn't want to ... Fiona ... She didn't want us to tell you or anybody anything.'

'But why?' asked Nick as he kept looking at the beautiful girl sitting alone in the living room.

'I don't know, buddy. Fiona used to live in Connecticut after her marriage. She came back to Boston three months ago. Lisa knew what was wrong. But the girls refused to tell me anything. You know how they are,' said Matt, searching for words, 'the thickest and bestest of friends. She stayed with us for two months. I helped her file her divorce. She found a job here and lives in a condo, down the street.'

'What was the reason for the divorce?' asked Nick, knowing that whatever the answer was, it wasn't a good one, because no guy in his right mind would have let her go.

'It was a divorce of mutual consent so I really didn't know what actually happened. I tried to ask Lisa but she is tight-lipped about the entire thing.'

'Fiona is such a sweet girl, Matt. What could have gone wrong?' asked Nick as he looked at the moonlight shining over the garden.

Matthew shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He caught someone wave towards him from the corner of his eye. 'I gotta go, Nick. I will catch you later,' he said with a pat and walked away.

He glanced towards the couch only to find it empty.

Where had she

gone

? He walked into the living room. She was nowhere to be seen. He walked into the kitchen searching for her, only to find Lisa arranging the plates.

'Hey Lisa, need some help?' asked Nick as he stood against the counter.

'No, it's almost done,' replied Lisa as she transferred the food to the last plate. 'Are you having fun?' asked Lisa as she wiped her hands on a napkin.

'Am I your friend, Lisa?' asked Nick as he looked at her gravely.

'Of course, you are, Nick. Why? What happened?' asked Lisa, raising her eyebrows.

'What happened to Fiona? Why didn't you tell me anything?'

'Tell you about what?' asked Lisa as he looked at Nicholas, blankly.

'Her marriage and divorce? What happened to the sweet, bubbly girl whom I met at your wedding?' he asked, trying to hang onto his temper.

'Her marriage wasn't a good one, Nick. And she didn't want anybody to know about her plight. She knew how you felt about her,' confessed Lisa and looked away.

'Where is she?' asked Nick as he looked at Lisa intently, 'I didn't find her anywhere.'

'She might be in the coatroom. She wanted to leave,' replied Lisa and started carrying the plates towards the dining area.

'So early?' he asked as he helped Lisa with the plates, 'It's just been an hour since the party started,' he said, glancing towards the clock.

'Fiona didn't even want to come, Nick. I had to coax her to stay for the first hour,' replied Lisa wryly.

'I gotta go, Lisa. I am sorry but I can't see her destroy herself,' said Nick as he ran a hand through his hair.

'I understand, Nick. Be nice to her. She needs it more than anybody else,' said Lisa, earnestly as she gave him a small wave.

'I will,' said Nick and walked off towards the coatroom.

***

She didn't understand why she had agreed to attend this party in the first place. All the people around her were happy. She felt like an odd man out or rather, an odd woman out. On top of that, the husky voice guy kept staring at her from time-to-time. What was with her and men? Did she look like a joker? She pulled on her coat and buttoned it up. She clutched her purse and opened the door to head out, when she collided into a hard, muscled chest. Strong arms gripped her, preventing her from falling.

'Easy there, sweetheart,' chuckled the same husky voice making her raise her head.

Was he following her

? What if he was one of Robert's friends? She had met many of them but ... She looked at his face. Although he looked familiar, she wasn't able to place him. He was wearing a crisp blue shirt, which was tucked into a pair of jeans. His eyes were looking at her with a renewed glint and his lips were curved into a small smile. She looked at the strong forearms which were holding her close. His dark brown skin was a contrast to her pale one. His fingers were holding her arms, not too hard ... But she still didn't want any guy's hands over her.

Abruptly she pushed his hands away and stepped back from his hold. She smoothened her dress and then it struck her, he had called her

sweetheart

.

How dare he

? She raised her head and was about to ask the same, when she caught him looking at her with an amused expression and his arms folded as he regarded her coolly.

'You don't recognize me, do you?' he asked with a Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

Before she could control her response to his question, she was shaking her head.

'Come Fiona, let me walk you home,' said the guy, taking her small, thin hand into his much bigger one.

He urged her to walk with him and closed the front door behind them.

How did he know her name

? She tried to remember who he was but she still couldn't place him. As soon as they stepped into the street, the cool night breeze kept blowing against them, making her shiver. She wrapped her free arm around herself, trying to ward off the chill. The thin coat did little to protect her from the wind.

Nicholas felt her shiver against him. He let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close. She still looked small ... just the same size when he had met her at Matthew's home for the first time. And apart from the dull face, she seemed to have thinned down a lot. He didn't find much flesh on her body. Her ribs poked against his palm.

Fiona felt his fingers brushing against her stomach. She shoved at him with all her strength, forcing him to move away.

'Who are you?' she asked her eyes wide as saucers.

'I didn't expect you to forget me, Fi,' whispered Nick as he stood before her, running his hands through his hair, making her remember his age old habit.

Only one guy had called her Fi ... Nick?

Nicholas

? But he was supposed to be in New York ... When had he come back?

'Nick?' she asked, hesitantly and when he nodded, she couldn't help but smile. 'Oh my God! What are you doing here?'

'Got transferred here a couple of days back,' he replied and asked sheepishly, 'don't I get a welcome hug or something?'

On seeing her blush, he opened his arms and swept her up, ignoring her squeal of surprise.

'I missed you so much, Fi,' he murmured against her ear. 'So damn much.'

His admission only made her gut clench. It felt so good, wrapped up in his arms, safe and secure from the rest of the world. She didn't realize that she had longed to be held in this way. Now, it only exaggerated the feeling. And then she remembered how badly she had reacted earlier. Guilty and shameful at her harsh reply, she said softly, 'I missed you too, Nick. And I am sorry for ... you know, what happened before.'

'Hey, it's alright, Fi. You don't have to apologize,' he said and lowered her down. She almost whimpered at the loss of his touch. She controlled her frenzied nerves and offered him a smile, which she knew didn't reach her eyes. Because the next moment, Nick ran his knuckles against her cheek and said, 'Let's go and talk, Fi.'

She nodded and waved in the direction of her house. 'My house is just a few blocks away. Wanna join me for a cup of coffee?' she asked mustering up all her courage.

'Sure, sweets,' replied Nick with a smile, tucking her into his side and wrapping his arm around her. She felt warm and secure in his hold. Meeting Nick after so many years only fanned her pent up emotions. He could still make her blush like a school girl whenever he was around. What was wrong with her? She wasn't a naïve young teen and it wasn't like she was on her first date.

Three years back, she had met Nick at Lisa's wedding. It was like love at first sight for her. They flirted the entire time during the wedding celebrations, teasing and making fun of each other, recognizing the wonderful chemistry that they shared. Their dance after the wedding was the best one she had till date. But during the dance, Nick had told her that he was leaving for New York the next day. Then suddenly, the bubble burst. He had looked at her and asked her if she wanted to spend the night with him. She had replied in negative, hoping that he would take the hint and leave. But he just told that he understood and that he would wait for her call. He had scribbled his number on a tissue and handed it to her. The next day, he had come to her room, dropped a kiss on her forehead and told her that he would always be there for her. He had even given her his New York address, telling her that she was welcome to visit him anytime. She had only nodded and waved her hand as he walked away.

For many days and nights, she had contemplated of calling him. But every time she picked up her phone, she couldn't bring herself to dial his number. She didn't know what she was to him. Maybe he just wanted them to be friends or may be ... And between all those maybes she had met Robert and the rest was history...

Nick's voice cut through her thoughts making her look at him. He only raised his eyebrows and looked at her, as if expecting an answer.

Oh, crap

!

She hadn't even listened to the question

. Nicholas shook his head as if he understood her dilemma. He caught her hand and brought her forward, so that she faced him.

'Honey, care to tell me which one of these buildings houses your home?' he asked as waved his hand, indicating the neighborhood.

Ah! They had reached. But it didn't feel like she had walked all the distance. She felt Nick's gaze over her, making her remember his question.

Yeah right, her home

. She pointed towards a ten story building. Nick only flashed a smile and walked them towards the building.

***

'1 spoon cream and 2 spoons sugar, right?' she asked, setting the tray before him.

'Yeah,' he said as he helped her with the coffee. Her fingers shook slightly as she offered him the cup.

He sipped his coffee and eyed her carefully over the rim of his cup. She had changed into a night shirt and pajamas. Her hair was free of its confinement and rested against her shoulders. It made him want to run his hands through it. But he didn't know if Fiona would encourage his actions. She still looked flustered as she sipped her coffee. Feeling his gaze linger on her, she looked down and fidgeted in her seat.

'I didn't recognize you, you know,' said Nick as he set his cup on the coffee table. 'Matthew helped me out,' he said, impishly.

'And here I was thinking that you remembered me,' said Fiona wryly. 'How could you forget me?' she asked faking her astonishment at such a thing happening.

'I am sorry, Fi. But it's just that you look so different now. I had a hard time believing Matthew when he said who you were.'

'I am still the same, Nick,' she said and looked at herself before continuing, 'Did I grow a third horn?' she asked with a smile.

'No, you didn't,' he said and looked at the empty seat beside him. 'You are sitting way too far, Fi,' he patted the seat beside him. 'Come here, honey,' he whispered.

Fiona set down her cup on the table and walked towards him, before sitting down on the couch beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Being in his arms was the best thing she had ever experienced. It had been years since someone had treated her so nicely. Unable to control herself, she laid her shoulder on his head and breathed in his scent and the faint smell of his aftershave.

'Who did this to you, Fi?' he asked gently. 'I wanna kill that bastard for doing this to you.'

'Let's not talk about it,' she said and caught his hand into her. 'You didn't get married?' she traced his middle finger, noticing the loss of ring.

'Never found a girl who could settle down with me,' replied Nick, ruffling her hair. 'And moreover all the good girls were taken.'

'Do you hate me?' she asked as she traced the lines on his palm.

'Why?' he asked as he cupped her face and looked into her eyes. 'Why would I hate the sweetest girl I ever met?'

'I don't know,' she said and looked away before snuggling closer into him. 'I didn't stay in touch, didn't inform you about my wedding ... I was so stupid back then ...'

'Come on Fi, you really don't mean all that, do you?' He squeezed her shoulders and continued, 'You were the smartest girl and no, I don't hate you. I never would.'

'Thanks,' she said and pressed a kiss to his palm. 'Everything happened so quick that it was hard for me to believe.'

'I understand, sweetie,' said Nick as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. 'So, where did you meet him?'

'You are not going to give up, are you?' she asked, turning towards him and looking into his eyes.

Nick shook his head and waited for her answer. Knowing that she would have to answer his questions, she settled back against him and began her story.

'I met Robert, and yes that's his name, at work. It was a couple of months after Lisa's wedding. He was the most attentive and fun-loving guy I had ever met in my life. And at that time I thought that he was my Prince Charming.'

She heard Nick's snort at her statement. But she didn't reply and continued, 'We went on a couple of dates and then I moved in with him. Amazing, isn't it? A couple of dates and we were a couple. The first year was the best. He remembered birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day and even proposed to me in a cozy little restaurant. Life at that point of time seemed to be really good. I wish I had looked at our relationship from a different angle. But as they say, love is blind. The day we got married was the last day I laughed. Life since then has become hell, Nick,' she said, choking back on a sob.

Recollecting all that had happened was like poking an old wound. The memories were too fresh and the pain was still there. Nick only squeezed her and pulled her close as he felt her shiver.

'After the wedding and the honeymoon, we moved to Connecticut. He wanted to look after his father's business and my job was transferrable, so I didn't mind the change of place. I just wanted to be with my Prince Charming and that's when the real trouble started. Every night he used to come home late, drunk and then he used to ...,' she faltered and Nick drew her close urging her to go on. '... He used to abuse me, call me names, and hit me with whatever he chose. I always thought that it was my mistake that maybe, I didn't keep the food warm enough, that maybe I should have never talked to a guy in the office, that maybe I wasn't such a good wife. But ... whatever I did ... however I tried to keep him happy, I could never match up to his expectations. Every night was dreadful and the only nights when I slept was when he was away on a business trip. I didn't tell anyone how I was. During one of those days I got a call from a hospital telling me that Mom had a heart attack. I had reached the hospital only to find that ... that she was no more. I wish I had done something, Nick. I wish I hadn't married him. After Mom passed away, he became even more violent. He made me resign from the job. He used to whip me, cane me and even use me as his ashtray, if the mood struck.'

And mark me as his

... She couldn't speak aloud the last four words. She wasn't courageous to tell Nick about her scarred flesh.

She didn't know when Nick had maneuvered her into his lap. But she was in his lap, her head against his chest and his hand stroking her back and helping her vent things out ... things which she hadn't even told anyone ... anyone other than Lisa. Hot tears spilled over her cheek as she tried to force the words out of her mouth.